House of Ligne

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The House of Ligne is one of oldest and the most prestigious Belgian noble families. It goes back to the eleventh century and owes its name at the village in which it originating, between Ath and Tournai. The lords of Ligne belong to the entourage of the Count of Hainaut at the time of the crusades. With the battle of Bouvines in 1214, they are described as "great name and men of honour" by the chroniclers of the time. They then began the progressive rise in the nobility: barons at the twelfth century, counts of Fauquemberg and princes of Épinoy in the sixteenth century. Lamoral I received from the emperor Rudolf II the titles of Prince of Ligne and Prince of the Holy Roman Empire.There are cadet branch of this house: Barbançon, Barbançon-Arenberg, Moy and Ham.

[edit] Abott and abbess

Within this house there were the following abotts and abbesses:

Gérard de Ligne (+1270) Abott de Cambrai
Mahaut de Ligne (c. 1275) Abbess d'Epinlieu
Marie de Ligne (c. 1500) Abbess de Mons
Marie de Ligne (c. 1550) Abbess de Cambrai
Catherine de Ligne (+1581) Abbess de Thorn (La Thure)

[edit] Princes de Ligne

List of the Princes of Ligne:

Lamoral I, Prince of Ligne and of the Holy Roman Empire (1563-1624).
Albert Henri, Prince of Ligne and of the Holy Roman Empire (1615-1641)
Claude Lamoral I, Prince of Ligne and of the Holy Roman Empire (1618-1679)
Henri Louis Ernest, Prince of Ligne and of the Holy Roman Empire (1644-1702)
Antoine Joseph Ghislain, Prince of Ligne and of the Holy Roman Empire (1682-1750)
Claude Lamoral II, Prince of Ligne and of the Holy Roman Empire (1685-1766)
Charles-Joseph, Prince of Ligne and of the Holy Roman Empire (1735-1814)
Eugène, Prince of Ligne and of the Holy Roman Empire (1804-1880)
Louis, Prince of Ligne (1854-1918)
Ernest, Prince of Ligne (1857-1937)
Eugène II, Prince of Ligne (1893-1960)
Baudouin, Prince of Ligne (1918-1985)
Antoine, Prince of Ligne (1925-2005)
Michel, Prince of Ligne (1951-)